1-seed Gonzaga (26-3) vs. 16-seed Georgia State (18-10)
THURSDAY, MARCH 17 | 1:15 P.M. | MODA CENTER | PORTLAND
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THE TIP OFF
- Gonzaga will meet Georgia State Thursday in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament in Portland, Ore., at 1:15 p.m. Pacific. It's the Zags' second all-time meeting with Georgia State, with GU winning the previous meeting 90-65 in 1994.
- GU is making its 23rd consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearance and 24th overall. The 23 straight berths to the field are the third-longest current streak in the nation (Kansas 32 and Michigan State 24).
- The Zags are 39-23 all-time in the 23 previous NCAA Tournament appearances with 11 trips to the Sweet 16, five trips to the Elite Eight, two Final Fours and two appearances in the national championship game.
- Gonzaga is the number one overall seed for the second straight season, and second time in program history. The Bulldogs receive a one-seed for the fifth time in program history, and fourth in the last five tournaments. GU is the first program to receive back-to-back number one overall seeds since Duke in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
- The Zags are 36-21 in the NCAA Tournament under head coach Mark Few with a berth in all 22 seasons.
- GU has the most wins in the NCAA Tournament since 2017, going 15-4, Michigan is next at 12-4. The Bulldogs' 20 wins in the tournament since 2015 is also the most, with Villanova second at 17, North Carolina third at 16 and Duke at 15.
- Gonzaga is one of only two teams to win its opening-round NCAA Tournament game each of the last 12 tournaments, Kansas is the other at 14. The Zags are the only program to appear in the last six Sweet 16s.
- GU is first in the nation in scoring offense (87.8), scoring margin (22.5), FG percentage (52.7) and defensive rebounds (32.07), second in two-point percentage (60.9), third in rebound margin (8.9), assists per game (18.2), and FG percentage defense (37.9), fourth in rebounds per game (41.45), sixth in blocked shots per game (5.9) and seventh in assist-turnover ratio (1.55).
- Andrew Nembhard is seventh in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.24). Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme are 11th and 18th in the nation shooting 61 percent and 58.8 percent from the field. Holmgren is fourth with 104 blocks and fourth averaging 3.59 blocks per game. He's eighth grabbing 7.96 defensive rebounds per game.
- Timme was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, while Chet Holmgren was the Newcomer and Defensive Player of the Year. Timme, Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard earned First Team All-WCC honors.
- Timme and Holmgren were named Second Team All-American by Sporting News, and were named to the Wooden Award National Ballot. Holmgren is a Malone Award Finalist (nation's top power forward), Nembhard is a Cousy Finalist (nation's top point guard), and Timme is an Abdul-Jabbar Finalist (nation's top center).
- GU is 12-3 versus Quad 1 and 2 teams, 10-3 vs. Quad 1, the fourth-most wins in the nation vs. Quad 1 teams.
- The Zags are first in KenPom's rankings (first offensive efficiency and seventh efficient defense).
- The Bulldogs have won 78 of their last 83 games, and since the start of the 2019-20 season, GU has won a national-best 88 out of their last 94 games. Gonzaga is also 59-4 since the start of 2020-21.
 
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
- Gonzaga is making its 23rd consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearance and 24th overall.
- The 23 straight berths to the field are the third-longest current streak in the nation (Kansas and Michigan State).
The Zags are 39-23 all-time in their 22 NCAA Tournament appearances with 11 trips to the Sweet 16, five trips to the Elite Eight, two Final Fours and two appearances in the national championship game.
- GU is 36-21 in the NCAA Tournament under Mark Few with a berth in all 22 seasons of Few's head coaching career.
- The Bulldogs have the most wins in the NCAA Tournament since 2017, going 15-4, Michigan is next at 12-4. GU's 20 wins in the tournament since 2015 is also the most, with Villanova second at 17 and North Carolina third at 16.
- Gonzaga is one of only two teams to win its opening-round NCAA Tournament game each of the last 12 tournaments, Kansas is the other at 14.
- The Bulldogs are 30-17 all-time as a single-digit seed, with a 14-2 record in first round games as a single-digit seed. 
- The Bulldogs received a one-seed for the fifth time in program history, including the fourth time in the last five NCAA Tournaments. Gonzaga was projected as a top seed in the 2020 tournament that was cancelled as well.
- The Zags are the top-overall seed for the second straight season, and the second time ever in program history.
- GU plays in Portland in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history. In 2009 in the then-named Rose Garden, the Zags beat 14-seeded Akron in the first round, 77-64, in Portland. Gonzaga then used a last second shot from Demetri Goodson to beat 12th-seeded Western Kentucky in the second round, 83-81.
- In 2020-21, [1] GU defeated [16] Norfolk State and [8] Oklahoma, advancing to the Sweet 16, where it beat [5] Creighton, before defeating [6] Southern California in the Elite Eight and [11] UCLA in the Final Four. The Zags fell to [1] Baylor in the national championships. The entire tournament was held in Indianapolis.
 
FACT CHECKING
- During Few's coaching career, his GU teams are 29-7 (.806) as the higher seed, including a 22-3 mark since 2009.
                - 2019: #3 Texas Tech def. #1 Gonzaga
                - 2018: #9 Florida State def. #4 Gonzaga
                - 2013: #9 Wichita State def. #1 Gonzaga
                - 2008: #10 Davidson def. #7 Gonzaga
                - 2005: #6 Texas Tech def. #3 Gonzaga
                - 2004: #10 Nevada def. #2 Gonzaga
                - 2002: #11 Wyoming def. #6 Gonzaga
- Since 2009, the Zags have lost only three games against a lower-seeded team, a span of 11 NCAA Tournaments.
- Few's teams have also pulled seven upset wins in his 20 previous NCAA Tournaments.
 
SERIES NOTES
- This is the second all-time meeting between Gonzaga and Georgia State.
- The Zags won the only previous meeting, 90-65, on Nov. 25, 1994, in Shootout Spokane at Gonzaga. It was the season-opener in 1994-95 for the Bulldogs.
- GU is 7-1 against current members from the Sun Belt Conference. In its latest matchup versus a Sun Belt foe, the Zags defeated UT-Arlington on Nov. 19, 2019, in Spokane, 72-66.
 
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
- Georgia State won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament to earn the league's automatic bid with an 80-71 win over Louisiana. Georgia State was the third-seed in the tournament and beat eighth-seeded Louisiana in Pensacola, Fla. Corey Allen, who earned Tournament Most Outstanding Performer honors, finished with 29 points for a second-straight night, going 5-of-6 from 3-point range and a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line. Eliel Nsoseme recorded a third-straight double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds to be named to the Sun Belt All-Tournament Team for a second-straight year.
- The Panthers enter the tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation having won 10 straight games, 12 of the last 13, and eight-straight road/neutral contests.
- Allen averages a team-high 14.7 points per game, while Kane Williams and Justin Roberts add 12.5 and 11.2 points.
- Nsoseme grabs a team-best 9.8 rebounds a game. Williams has dished out a team-high 107 assists this season.
- Allen and Williams were named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Third Team.
- Georgia State is making its fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2015, and sixth in program history. The Panthers own a pair of victories in the tournament coming in 2001 and 2015.
 
ON THIS DAY IN ZAG HISTORY
- Gonzaga is 5-1 on March 17 since joining Div. 1 in 1958-59.
- In their last game on this date, the Zags held off Ohio State in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
- Chet Holmgren's 104 blocks rank second in program history for most in a season. Brandon Clarke set the record in 2018-19 with 117. Clarke had 90 blocks after 29 games that season, averaging 3.10 per outing.
- Holmgren is 13 blocks from matching Clarke for sixth for most in a career in program history.
- Rasir Bolton is three steals from 100 in his career.
- Anton Watson is seven steals from 100 in his career.
- Drew Timme is at 1,439 points in his career. He is 13 points away from 19th all-time at GU, and 17 points from 18th.
- Drew Timme is 17 rebounds from 600 in his career.
- Rasir Bolton is 19 assists from 300 in his career.